A strong upper low was moving across the Rockies with an associated cold front at the surface moving through the Borderland. Winds ahead and just behind the cold front brought gusts to 75 mph which created areas of blowing dust which reduced visibilities to under a quarter mile at times.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS EPZ wrote it up.
A strong upper low was moving across the Rockies with an associated cold front at the surface moving through the Borderland. Winds ahead and just behind the cold front brought gusts to 75 mph which created areas of blowing dust which reduced visibilities to under a quarter mile at times.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS El Paso, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 18, 10:57 AM MST, 46 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
1157 AM MDT Tue Mar 18 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1138 AM MDT Tue Mar 18 2025
- Strong winds, blowing dust, and critical fire weather
conditions will make another appearance today.
- Lighter winds and cooler temperatures are expected for
Wednesday.
- A very dry air mass will linger through the week, with slowly
warming temperatures and light winds. Afternoons may become a
little breezier heading towards the weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 412 AM MDT Tue Mar 18 2025
Strong winds have developed ahead of schedule along the east
slopes of area mountain ranges, including the San Andres, Organs,
and Franklins. NAM12 shows a little low level jet developed right
over El Paso and southern Dona Ana Counties around 09Z, and that
has likely led to the enhanced wind gusts, despite the apparent
lack of mountaintop inversion (we'll see what the 12Z RAOB shows).
Gusts so far have been in the 40 to 50 mph range in NE El Paso,
and over 50 mph across White Sands Missile Range. A few gusts
over 40 have also been noted at Hillsboro, NM and down in the
Bootheel at Hachita Valley RAWS. The Sacramento mountains,
however, have been relatively calm.
We will likely see the downslope winds let up a bit after sunrise,
but they will return again (as originally expected) by midday.
Decided to go with an SPS as a stop-gap to address the morning
winds rather than pull the High Wind Warning forward, though an
argument could be made for either course of action.
Otherwise...a sharp upper level trough over the Great Basin will
sweep across New Mexico this afternoon, well-timed for mixing down
the strongest winds aloft. Wind gusts of 60 mph will be common
across much of the area, with isolated gusts of 65 to 70 mph
possible in exposed higher terrain areas in the Sacramento
Mountains, and east slope locations. Winds will be slightly
lighter over SW New Mexico, as the trough axis will be a little
too far to the east during peak mixing.
Wind direction will generally be 250-260 through early afternoon,
trending more towards 270 during the worst of the wind. This may
shift the axis of the densest dust slightly farther south, but
it's still likely that most of El Paso will be in the thick of it.
The Lower Valley will be more favored for the worst dust versus
the Upper Valley and Mesilla Valley below Las Cruces. Areas east
of Deming along I-10 will likely be impacted, and across NM-11
south of Deming as well.
No precipitation is expected with this system, including in the
mountains.
Winds will diminish this evening, with slightly breezy northwest
flow prevailing on Wednesday, pulling cooler temperatures into the
area (low to mid-60s, about 10 degrees below normal).
We'll warm back up to near normal by Thursday as weak ridging
gives way to more zonal flow.
A fairly benign spell of weather looks to settle in by late in the
week. Fire weather will be the main concern as temperatures warm
up and afternoon RH values plunge well into the single digits. But
other than slightly breezy conditions Saturday, most of the period
will be characterized by light winds.
Early next week, a weak back door cold front may try to make a run
for the Rio Grande, but with ridging moving in from the west, it
will likely face difficulties.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1138 AM MDT Tue Mar 18 2025
Generally VFR with SKC-SCT250. Across the desert from about
Lordsburg-Alamogordo south...widespread 3-6SM BLDU with areas of
BLDU AOB 1/2SM...all til around 23Z. BLDU gradually diminishing
between 23Z and 02Z. Surface wind southwest/west 30-35G45-55
knots. Winds west/northwest 25-30G45 knots aft 00Z with cold front
passage, then west/northwest 10-15G20 knots after 06Z.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1157 AM MDT Tue Mar 18 2025
Critical fire weather conditions are expected across most of the
area today, especially at elevations below about 7500-8000 feet.
One exception will be the Gila where minimum RH values will be a
little higher, and ERC values much lower due to recent
precipitation.
The worst conditions will likely be in the lowlands east of the
Rio Grande, where overnight RH recovery has been quite poor, with
several locations still seeing RH values around 10 percent in the
predawn hours.
Otherwise, expect southwest to west winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts
50 to 55 mph at the 20-foot level across much of the area.
Quieter weather will prevail through the remainder of the week.
Northwest winds behind this system will bring below normal
temperatures to the region for Wednesday, but will also usher in a
very dry air mass. The dry air will linger into the weekend, with
afternoon minimum RH values falling deep into the single digits,
and in the lower 10s even in the higher terrain. Winds, however,
look to be light, though they may become a little breezy heading
into Saturday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 76 40 64 35 / 0 0 0 0
Sierra Blanca 77 35 60 30 / 0 0 0 0
Las Cruces 71 30 61 28 / 0 0 0 0
Alamogordo 73 31 59 28 / 0 0 0 0
Cloudcroft 54 20 38 16 / 0 0 0 0
Truth or Consequences 67 33 62 30 / 0 0 0 0
Silver City 55 28 55 27 / 0 0 0 0
Deming 68 30 65 29 / 0 0 0 0
Lordsburg 63 27 63 28 / 0 0 0 0
West El Paso Metro 75 41 62 38 / 0 0 0 0
Dell City 78 35 63 26 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Hancock 83 38 65 30 / 0 0 0 0
Loma Linda 71 33 55 31 / 0 0 0 0
Fabens 80 38 65 32 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Teresa 74 35 62 31 / 0 0 0 0
White Sands HQ 73 38 62 36 / 0 0 0 0
Jornada Range 70 30 61 23 / 0 0 0 0
Hatch 71 30 65 26 / 0 0 0 0
Columbus 73 36 65 32 / 0 0 0 0
Orogrande 73 33 58 25 / 0 0 0 0
Mayhill 63 28 51 20 / 0 0 0 0
Mescalero 64 23 49 18 / 0 0 0 0
Timberon 64 23 49 17 / 0 0 0 0
Winston 59 22 56 17 / 0 0 0 0
Hillsboro 64 28 63 28 / 0 0 0 0
Spaceport 68 28 61 21 / 0 0 0 0
Lake Roberts 57 19 59 17 / 0 0 0 0
Hurley 60 25 58 25 / 0 0 0 0
Cliff 61 21 61 19 / 0 0 0 0
Mule Creek 54 18 60 16 / 0 0 0 0
Faywood 60 29 61 30 / 0 0 0 0
Animas 67 30 65 28 / 0 0 0 0
Hachita 68 30 63 27 / 0 0 0 0
Antelope Wells 71 30 65 31 / 0 0 0 0
Cloverdale 63 30 61 34 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Texas Fire
Weather Zone 055 El Paso County- Texas Fire Weather Zone
056 Hudspeth County.
Blowing Dust Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for
Eastern/Central El Paso County-Northern Hudspeth
Highlands/Hueco Mountains-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El
Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern
Hudspeth County-Salt Basin-Southern Hudspeth Highlands-
Western El Paso County.
High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for
Eastern/Central El Paso County-Northern Hudspeth
Highlands/Hueco Mountains-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El
Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern
Hudspeth County-Salt Basin-Southern Hudspeth Highlands-
Western El Paso County.
NM...High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for East Slopes
Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Sacramento Mountains
Above 7500 Feet-Southern Gila Region Highlands/Black Range.
Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for Southwest
Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Upper Gila River Valley.
Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Capitan and
Sacramento Mountains/Lincoln NF/LNZ- South Central Lowlands
and Southern Rio Grande Valley/BLM/GLZ- Southwest Deserts
and Lowlands/Las Cruces BLM/GLZ.
Blowing Dust Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for East
Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo-Lowlands of the Bootheel-
Northern Dona Ana County-Otero Mesa-Southeast Tularosa
Basin-Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley-Southwest
Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Southwest Desert/Mimbres
Basin-Uplands of the Bootheel-West Central Tularosa
Basin/White Sands-West Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below
7500 Feet.
High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Central Grant
County/Silver City Area-East Central Tularosa
Basin/Alamogordo-Eastern Black Range Foothills-Lowlands of
the Bootheel-Northern Dona Ana County-Otero Mesa-Sierra
County Lakes-Southeast Tularosa Basin-Southern Dona Ana
County/Mesilla Valley-Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres
Valley-Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin-Uplands of the
Bootheel-West Central Tularosa Basin/White Sands-West
Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.
&&
FORECASTER...17-HefnerThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 dust storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Visibility at the El Paso Airport ASOS was reduced to a quarter mile or less from 1243pm to 633pm.
The El Paso ASOS reported a peak gust of 75 mph which snapped power poles in northeast El Paso. A semi was also blown over on the US 54 bridge near the Border Highway.
Less than a quarter mile visibility was reported in west El Paso near Artcraft and Interstate 10.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2025
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1246816, 1246815, 1246821.